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This is grace unfolding. You are not alone.
Dec 8, 2019,
Hi {!firstname_fix},
The cranes are back. They are coming to a different field this year but this is how it looks just up the road from me. Brody and I go and sit and watch and listen almost every night. I don't know why it is so comforting to me to have them back this year.They come screeching over the house on their way from night resting in the river to breakfast within the hour.It makes me feel like the world is in order.
Thank you very much for your kind donations to covering the cost of our transfer out of Yahoo. We have reached about 50% of the cost so I will leave our donate button up a bit longer. I am still thrilled at how seamless the transition was. I really, really like using io and I think it has made things so much simpler.
I am glad you are here, glad you found us and it is my joy to be in service to to your healing.
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Yukon gold potatoes
COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS
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We have talked about having one place where everyone can talk together. Our move to io is allowing us to set up an easily accessible email list to do this. Conversations can be grouped into topics so you can search for something you are interested in and join in, or you can
start a new topic. This discussion will be held on a list at io. Join it now.

People are talking, bring your questions and ideas!.

GROUPS
The groups list is up on the web site. If you want to try out the new system, it is super easy. You don't have to get a Yahoo email, you don't have to fuss. YEA! Just sign up for the list you would like to join.
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK
If you prefer talking on Facebook, come over to one of our three groups there. Radiant Recovery®, Radiant Recovery® International or Radiant Recovery® Germany
WORKING WITH KATHLEEN
Coaching is a special offering for people who are serious about enhancing their programs and would like to have ongoing coaching. Kathleen personally runs the coaching groups.This is not a class but is a process to support your progress. We have added a special chat for people in coaching. It meets twice a week to accommodate those who are in Greenwich Mean Time and those who are in USA time.
Coaching includes four options now: Return to Radiance Coaching for those who have done the steps in the past and then drifted and would like to get back on track. Skilled Coaching is for people who are steady on the steps and ready to work on Step 7 life skills. Special Coaching is geared to people who have special considerations. I am discontinuing the Introductory Coaching. It was an interesting experiment. It is clear to me that it is way better for new people to simply work on the Step One list and have the support of the conversations there.
The fee for coaching is $20 a week, billed in 2 week intervals. If you wish to join sign up for coaching and then we can talk about which section to join.
Sign up for group coaching
Kathleen also provides individual intensive coaching called Signature Coaching. It can help you step out of the craziness of sugar addiction, return to steadiness and clarity after slipping away, slow down and focus on your recovery, or deepen a steady rhythm of recovery.
This is a way to step out of feeling overwhelmed with where to start and what to do. Because it is so individualized, we can work on what is right for you at this point in your journey. People tell me that coaching helps them feel safe and focused. We work with your style, your rhythm. This is a unique opportunity to release your fear and let go of shame.The guidance can shorten and ease your process so that in 3 months you will do what you might take a year to do on your own.
Ready to Start?
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"What seems like a story of food is really a story of possibility."
Testimonial of the Week

I have always been an 'off the ground' person who was neither anchored very deeply nor centered emotionally. I am grateful for recovery because I feel that this is really much more of who I am. A wonderful maturity begins to emerge.

I go to pow-wows a lot in the summer in Minnesota. There is a dance that a lot of the women do (you have to choose one style and can only dance that way and your regalia must match the style) called 'traditional.' The women, many of whom are elders, come out with beautifully, intricately beaded moccasins, oftentimes a feather fan made out of a hawk wing, a beautiful dress with ribbon fringes, and beadwork barrettes and hair clips.

The dance itself is very very slow. The women stand straight upright and walk/march slowly to the beat of the drum in a large circle with the rest of the dancers. They never move quickly. They are a sea of slow, powerful energy as the younger, more active dancers flit by doing fancy, shawl, jingle, grass, etc. dancing.

These women are radiant, but like deep radiant -- Where there is this very quiet, deep power that radiates from them. They are unflappable, anchored. Nothing can push them - a wonderful, wise certainty. This is what I imagine the deepening that occurs with step 7 brings. Not high zingy energy, but a slow burning vitality that is grounded, deep and very very wise.

I am so early in this process - just new at moving; not yet meditating, and knowing that there is even more depth to the food groove.

It's a beautiful thing,

maggi
David Smiling
David, my oldest son, runs our store. He makes sure your orders go out quickly and works with you to find the best things suited to where you are in your process.
This is a great support for those of you dealing with coming off of stimulants for stimulant behaviors.
Come visit our STORE. Call 505-345-3737.
Vitamin B complex
OrderPro EPA
Apple Crisp
Pumpkin Pie
I love this recipe and think it is a 10.. Here is the recipe.
I actually make this and have it for BREAKFAST. It is a wonderful thing to wake up to in the morning. You can use George's® Restore in it. And I actually make it in my slow cooker with a timer to start an hour before I get up. And I substitute the peanuts and use almonds. Try your own variations and report back about it.
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Your Last Diet!
Your Last Diet Book Cover

If you haven't read this yet, make sure you do.

Over time, I have come to appreciate the depth of what YLD really does. Originally I thought it would simply give you a safe and sane way to lose weight without being crazy. Over the years, we have come to see that it does something deeper than that. It completely rewires diet head and alters our self image being determined by a number on the scale. This is hard to explain. Freedom from tyranny might come close, but I am not sure that even that will explain it.

I have decided to run a number of the YLD classes right on the new list.There will be no additional fee for this. I am going to start the Obesity Myth class this week.

I will go into the details of each of these at chat. I also will be sending out a mailing to all of you who have joined YLD in the past. And finally, if you once joined in the year we offered that "annual" option, please note that your membership has shifted to LIFETIME so you will be getting an invitation from me as well. Let. me know if you have any questions.

If you would like to join us in YLD, come find us here.
Neurotransmitter graphic

Restoring your Brain after Stimulants

by Kathleen DesMaisons, PhD

I have recently been working with a number of folks who are trying to crawl back to sanity after detoxing from stimulant addiction. This includes things like cocaine, methamphetamine, diet pills, ephedrine drinks, psuedopepipephrine drinks, Sudafed, caffeine, Ritalin, or NutraSweet products. It also includes screen time including gaming or YouTube.I have gone back to the literature to refresh my own understanding. It was fascinating to see that in the mid 80's psychologists decided that "behavioral" addictions actually work pretty much in the same pathways as drug addictions. I think the behaviors that ping dopamine are difficult to deal with because the impact is so intense.

All of these substances activate or cause to be activated a brain chemical called dopamine. Dopamine makes you feel bright, clear, focused and functional. When you first start using these substances, you feel like you can take on the world. After a while, your brain adjusts and you simply feel normal after use and very discombobulated when the effect wears off. Addiction sets in when you start needing your substance in order to stave off the withdrawal.

Withdrawal from these substances makes you feel just the opposite. You feel dull, foggy, sludgy, torpid, teary, scattered and incapable of functioning. Cranky, very cranky. And as soon as you get your drug, even if it is a Diet Coke, you feel better. Stimulant addiction is seductive. You feel so fine when you are using and so bad when you are not, it is almost inconceivable to imagine not having it.

But, part of you has known that it is progressive and you are feeling worse. You no longer have times of feeling good, and a particular kind of bone weary exhaustion started setting in. You had to up the dose, or shorten the time between your fixes. What started as one latte in the morning became a triple in the morning and a single in the afternoon just to function. You knew you were in trouble and decided it was time to get off.

Doing the steps helped to get you to this place. You have been reasonably steady with your food and you were ready to get out from under this addiction. For the sake of this discussion, I am going to assume you have stopped using and you feel pretty crappy. This is a how to intervention to hold you up and restore your brain so that your willingness to get clean can stick over time.

There are some very specific changes you are going to make over a 3-month period to get your old brain back. [and yes, you will get back to normal!]

  1. Increase your protein intake to .6 - .8 grams per pound of your body weight. But play with it to see what has the best effect. You are working to increase the level of large neutral amino acids, particularly one called tyrosine. Tyrosine is the precursor to dopamine just like tryptophan is the precursor to serotonin. Do not just go get some tyrosine [you see I know the addicts mind, LOL]. You want the package that comes with protein meals. 1
  2. In the early weeks of your detox, you may want to add a protein snack mid morning and mid afternoon. A protein drink such as George's® Restore will be a particular comfort.
  3. If you are already on Step Four, increase the size of your potato at night. Serotonin reduces the craving for stimulants. If you start having wild or hallucinogenic dreams, simply cut back some. Find the edge so you are getting restorative and restful dreaming and not getting uncomfortable dreams.2
  4. Take omega 3 fatty acids with a high concentration of EPA/DHA. These fatty acids are abundant in the membranes that are associated with synaptic function the place where the neurotransmitters talk with one another. Increasing the omega 3s helps restore this function. 3
  5. If you are feeling particularly edgy or cranky, take a hot shower. If your gym has a hot tub, go for a soak. Warmth helps quiet dopamine withdrawal

Make a concerted effort to stay away from foods that are high in omega 6 fatty acids things like margarine and saturated fats [butter, cream, and meat fat] Eat foods high in omega 3 like cold water fishes such as salmon.

In your early phase, you may find it helpful to supplement with omega 3 fish oils capsules like the ones we sell in the store. The recommended dosage is 2 caps per day for a 150 pound person. You may want to increase this proportionate to your size and the severity of the detox you are experiencing.

If you are taking fish oil, it will tend to thin your blood. Sometimes this will make you more vulnerable to bruising. I have found that the antioxidant pycnogenol helps with this by strengthening capillary walls. I added this product to our store as a nice adjunct to the fish oil.

I am including some citations here if you would like to read more about this. They are linked so you can read the actual abstract on line. If you click on the link that says related articles, you can follow the topic and gather more information.

And of course, you may always email me at kathleen@radiantrecovery.com

Kathleen

1Fernstrom, JD, Can nutrient supplements modify brain function? Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 Jun;71(6 Suppl):1669S-75S. Review.

2Yu DS, Smith FL, Smith DG, Lyness WH. Fluoxetine-induced attenuation of amphetamine self-administration in rats. Life Sci. 1986 Oct 13;39(15):1383-8.

3Zimmer L, Vancassel S, Cantagrel S, Breton P, Delamanche S, Guilloteau D, Durand G, Chalon S. The dopamine mesocorticolimbic pathway is affected by deficiency in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002 Apr;75(4):662-7.

Here is the Annie Lane column that brought so many of you here.

Dear Annie: I read with interest the letter from "Weird, Stupid or Selfish?" – whose husband eats all the decorative candy she puts out. His inability to resist sugar resonated with me, as I have sugar sensitivity and have engaged in exactly the same behaviors. I simply could not resist sugar.

After years of struggling and dieting and sitting in work meetings obsessing about the doughnuts instead of the topic at hand, I discovered the book "Potatoes Not Prozac," by Kathleen DesMaisons. Her theory is that people who are sugar sensitive have brains that respond differently to sugar, alcohol and refined carbs and that what they eat and when they eat it have a huge effect on them. She shows how to rebalance blood sugar levels, serotonin and beta-endorphins through small lifestyle changes and offers the latest research, free online support and seven steps to change your life. It is not about willpower; it’s about biochemistry, which her program can slowly improve, just one tiny step at a time, with amazing results.

I have been sugar-free for six years now, lost 25 pounds and never gained any of it back. I can go to dinner with family and don’t even think twice when someone orders dessert. I don’t have cravings, and sugar is no longer on my radar. I am more focused and more tolerant, and the daily mood swings are gone. The woman who wrote to you could suggest to her husband that he check out http:// radiantrecovery.com to see whether he does have sugar sensitivity. At the very least, she would be better informed about this condition. – Happy Without Sugar

Dear Happy Without Sugar: I hadn’t considered that health issues might explain

her husband’s behavior. In fact, I hadn’t even heard of sugar sensitivity.

Thanks for opening my eyes to the condition! I’d like to encourage all readers to talk to their doctors if they find themselves compulsively eating sugary snacks.

—Email questions to dearannie@creators.com

ANNIE LANE
©2019 Kathleen DesMaisons. All rights reserved. You are free to use or transmit this article to your blog or website as long as you leave the content unaltered, use this attribution: "By Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. of Radiant Recovery®", and notify kathleen@radiantrecovery.com of the location. Please visit the Radiant Recovery® website at for additional resources on sugar sensitivity and healing addiction.

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